Engine hand latch



May 14, 1940.

G. H. sEPuLL -ENGINE -HAND LATQH Filed April 14, 1937 MAH@ HO O n.,

INVENTOR. Qua-aw: iPuu..

Patented May 14, 1940 man@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE HAND LATCH Gustavel H. Sepull, Detroit, .Mich Application April 14, 1937, Serial No. 136,873

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a latching mechanism for engine hoods adapted for leasably securing a swingy, ably mounted engine hood in operative'or engine to provide a device of this class which will be '"simple in structure, economical of manufacture, durable, highly eicent in use, and easily and quickly installed.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device of this class so arranged and constructed that a latching means may be released from a distance to permit the swinging movement of the engine hood, while at the same time a spring member will serve to move the engine hood and the latching members carried thereby, into a position so that upon the release of the releasing member, the hood will not again be latched in position.\

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention in its various features and functions, is set forth in the following specifications and drawing forming a part thereof and in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, central, vertical, sectional view of the invention, showing it applied.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

In the drawing, I have illustrated the invention used for securing an engine hood I in closed or engine concealing position. The engine hood referred to, is of the type which is commonly used on automobiles and in the construction of such automobiles, there is extended along the position at which the lower edge of the engine hood extends, when it is in closed position, a fender ange 8. In this ange 8, I form an opening 9 with which registers an opening IIJ formed in a carrying plate II which is secured by screws, or in any other suitable manner, to the under surface of the flange 8. Mounted on this plate II is a housing I2 having at one end an end wall I3 and provided, adjacent the same, with a tongue I4 which is struck from the bottom of the housing and turned inwardly and engaged at its inner end in a slot I5 formed in the plate Il. Slideably positioned in this housing,

is a latch bolt I6 having a slot I1 formed therein, and through which the tongue I4 projects. The latching end of this latch bolt I6 is beveled 5 as at I8. Slideably projected through the end wall I3 and through the end I9 of the latch bolt is a rod 29, which also projects through an opening formed in the tongue I 4. This rod is fastened at its inner end to the latch bolt I6 and 10 embracing the rod 20, is a spring 2 I. This spring lies in the slot I1 and engages at one of its ends with the latch bolt I6 and at its opposite end with the tongue I4. The housing is provided with an opening 22 which registers with the 15 opening I0. Attached to the outer end of the rod 20 is a flexible member or cable 23, which leads to the rod 24, slideably projected through the dashboard 25 of the vehicle, so that the person within the vehicle body would be able by 20 pulling on the rod 24, to slide the latch bolt to releasing or inoperative position, the spring 2l normally retaining the latch bolt in operative or latching position.

vMounted on the engine hood 1, so as to project 25 beyond the edge thereof, is a plate 2B having in its portion, which projects beyond the edge of the hood l, a notch 21 formed in one edge to provide a latch hook which, upon the movement of the engine hood to closed position, will project 30 through the openings 9, I0, and 22. The end of this projecting hook-forming portion is curved as at 28 so that when it is moved downward and brought into engagement with the beveled surface I8 of the latch bolt, the downward move- 35 ment of the member 26 will move the latch bolt easily into inoperative position, and when the notch 21 registers with the latch bolt the spring 2l will move the latch bolt into the notch, that is into latching position as shown in Fig. 1. 40 Thus it is obvious that, when the engine hood. is lowered so that the member 26 projects through the opening 22, the mechanism will automatically effect a latching.

Mounted on the upper surface of the flange 8 45 is a pair of leaf springs 29, each of which is secured at only one of its ends and normally is sprung or flexed upwardly at its free end, out of engagement with the flange 8. The construction is such that when the engine hood is moved to closed position, as shown in Fig. 1, the springs 29 will be flexed downward and under tension. The springs are of suicient strength and resiliency to, upon a withdrawal of the latch bolt I6 from operative position raise the engine' hood upwardly so 55 that the notch 2l' will be elevated above its latching position and out of registration with the latch bolt i6. Thus it is obvious, that when a person in the interior of the car retracts the latch bolt, by means of the cable 23, the engine hood will be forced upwardly by these springs and retained in unlatched position. Thus while I have provided a means whereby the unlatching of the engine hood other than from the interior of the car is rendered quite impracticable, I have also provided a means whereby the engine hood will' be retained in unlatched position after the latch bolt has been moved to inoperative position.

While I have illustrated one form of the invention, I wish it understood that other forms of,

the invention have been contemplated, and that I wish to embrace such other forms within the scope of this specification as manifested from the claims presented herewith.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim asV new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A locking mechanism adapted for mounting on a vehicle fender flange serving as an engagement member for the edge of a swingably mounted engine hood comprising: a plate mounted on the undersurface of the fender ange and having a transversely extending slot formed intermediate its ends and a longitudinally directed slot formed intermediate its ends, said longitudinally directed slot registering with a slot formed in the fender flange; a trough-shaped housing closed at one end and open at its opposite end; means for mounting said housing on said plate over said longitudinally directed slot; a tongue struck inwardly from the base of said housing intermediate its ends and engaging at its end in said transversely extending slot, there being formed in said base, adjacent one end of said housing, a longitudinally directed slot in registration with said longitudinally directed slot in said plate; a latch bolt mounted in and slideable longitudinally of said housing and projectible to a position for extending partially across said longitudinally directed slots, said latch bolt having an elongated slot formed intermediate its ends; said tongue projecting through the slot in said bolt; a rod secured to said latch bolt and projecting across the slot formed therein and through one end of said latch bolt and slidably projected through an opening formed in said tongue and through an opening formed in the end wall of said housing; and a spring embracing said rod and positioned within the slot formed in said latch bolt and engaging at one end said latch bolt and at the opposite end said tongue.

2. A locking mechanism adapted for mounting on a vehicle fender ange serving as an engagement member for the edge of a swingably mounted engine hood comprising: a plate mounted on the undersurface of the fender flange and having a transversely extending slot formed intermediate its ends and a longitudinally directed slot formed' intermediate its ends, said longitudinally directed slot registering with a slot formed in the fender iiange; a trough-shaped housing closed at onev end and open at its opposite end; means for mounting said housing on the undersurface of said plate in straddling relation to the line determined by saidA longitudinally directed slot, said longitudinally directed slot being positioned intermediate the ends of said housing; a tongue struck inwardly from the base of said housing intermediate its ends and engaging at its end in 'said transversely extending slot, there being formed in said base, adjacent one end of said housing, a longitudinally directed slot in registration with said longitudinally directed slot in said plate; a latch bolt mounted in and slideable longitudinally of said housing and projectible to a position for extending partially across said longitudinally directed slots, said latch bolt having an elongated slot formed intermediate its ends; said tongue projecting through the slot in said' bolt; a rod secured to said latch bolt and projecting across the slot formed therein and through one end of said latch bolt and slideably projected through an opening formed in said tongue and through an. opening formed in the end Wall of said housing; and a spring embracing said rod and positioned within the slot formed in said latch bolt and engaging at one end said latch bolt and at the opposite end said tongue.

GUSTAVE H. SEPULL. 

